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The Oakley Radar Path might be on course of optical enlightenment.

Oakley pioneered single-lens sports eyewear way back when in 1983, but they haven't released a markedly new cycling-focused design since 1990. Yes, the M-Frames were futuristic back then, but the style has been kind of ho-hum for years. It's still iconic, but is now conservative, when Oakley made its name being cutting-edge.

Like the M-Frame, the Radar a single-lens sunglass that is light, fits well, and has interchangeable lenses with great optics. But it does the old M's one up by employing a new hydrophobic coating on the lens. This coating makes it easier to see what's up the road when water hits the lens, as it just beads up and rolls off; the coating also makes it easier for dirt to come off, and harder for smudges to be seen because it's also oleophobic. The coating is transparent and permanent.

Another improvement over the old M is the nosepiece system. It's better in two ways. In terms of fit, Radars come with two nosepieces. One will fit better than the other; the come in different widths. This means it will sit properly on the schnoz, and neither pinch it nor sit so loose as to slide down. The second, more functional, improvement is that the nosepiece attaches to the rest of the frame. Oakley found that to meet military safety standards, the venerated M needed some decidedly garage tinkering. The new nosepiece attachment improves impact protection; it meets ANSI Z87.1 standard for both high mass and high-velocity impact resistance.

And then there are the surge ports. These are the holes molded into the arms. The ports direct air inside the arms so heat and sweat don't build up behind the sunglasses and arms. And unlike certain models of the M-Frame, the arms of the Radar fold. The lens is large in a modern, high-fashion way without being too big. We prefer the Path lens because we believe it is large enough to protect the eyes while being small enough so it doesn't overheat the head and seal the eyes off from the world. Overly big glasses fog up too easily. For those who are familiar with M-Frame lenses, this is kind of between the Hybrid and the Sweep. The next larger size of Radar lenses is the Pitch, and the largest is the Range. As with the M-Frame, the Radar has interchangeable lenses. Not only can you change tints, but shapes.

The White Chrome frame features a metal coating to the O-Matter frame made when the naked O-Matter is put in a vacuum with a metal chip. There is soft Unobtanium rubber on the ends of the temples and the nosepiece, same as the M-Frames. It's slightly hydrophilic, and grips better with perspiration. The lens is made from Plutonite (which blocks UVA, UVB, UVC, and blue light) has Oakley's famed High Definition Optics (HDO) for clarity and XYZ Optics for elimination of distortion. The lens color is Blue Iridium, which allows in 15% of visible light. It's best for medium to bright light and has excellent contrast. The Iridium helps cut down on glare. The sunglass comes with a zipper case that has room for a spare lens and a microfiber bag that is both a lens cleaning cloth and soft storage.

Here's what others have to say...

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Once You Go Oakley...

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

I've tried a wide variety of sunglasses on the market, for climbing, sport shooting, and road cycling, and the Oakley Radars are still my favorites. I tend to prefer the Pitch lens over the Path, but the Path lenses are still pretty good. The frames are the same, but the lenses cover different amounts of your face.

The Good: --Excellent wrap-around coverage and wind blocking, important when screaming down a descent while wearing contacts. --Every color of lens you could ever want in three different profiles, plus vents, polarized, etc, should you need them. --Vented lenses available; handy given the degree of wrap-around. --Complete UV blockage, even with clear lenses. I once got a wicked sunglass tan wearing clears all day when it was overcast out. --Oh-so-comfy for all day wear.

The Bad: --Expensive, and they never seem to go on sale.

I used to scoff at people who paid Oakley money for sunglasses, until I bought my first set of Oakleys. My only regrets are the pairs I've lost over the years, so try not to do that!

Violet Iridium & 'Carbon' frames

Comment on Debbie C's photo:

Maybe a Better View

Trying to capture the awesome lens color, and sharp frame of these shades.

For all you 'purple fiends', you'll love the 'Violet Iridium' lens. For the Mean Greens...the Jade Iridium is awesome, too. They're a bit lighter than the Violet, so can be worn on cloudier days (obviously the photochromes' are the best totally cloudy days).

My Radar Path

Comment on Md Imran's photo:

Hello. I hear these glasses are good for...

Hello. I hear these glasses are good for sports and biking. I'm looking for a pair of sunglasses for everyday normal use not just sports like walking and driving etc. Are these the right pair? im not very atheletic

For driving, just be careful of which lens type you pick; as some may make differentiating traffic light color, for example, sometimes tricky (this is listed on the paper that comes with glasses, and on the Oakley site.; (even though we know what sequence they are!). In fact, in some countries, some lens type are prohibited for use when driving (I believe the black iridium is one such lens). Just double check on the Oakley site for more info. on this. Also, there are warnings (if applicable) on the paper that comes with your glasses. Probably not a big deal....but just a F.Y.I.

Have an answer for Adam?

After buying cheapo sports shades for...

After buying cheapo sports shades for decades, finally ready to pull the trigger on Oakleys, based on reviews (and my desire to actually see detail). I'm trying to decide between black iridium and gray lenses (non-polarized). I like the crystal black frames but am afraid that the black irid shades will be too dark in slightly overcast days. Advice?

Worried about overcast or changing light? My advice is spring for the polarized. It is definitely worth it. That said, I prefer grey as they are for medium to bright light, where the black iridium is for very bright conditions and reducing glare.

I agree, choose the gray over the black iridium (I have the Blk.Iri. polorized also, and they are dark!). I would recommend considering the transistions lens, these are specifically designed for 'changing light conditions', and would be a great choice to have on hand to switch-out for semi cloudy days/evenings/early mornings.